Northwestern Lands Encouraging QB Take for 2025 Season

SMU transfer Preston Stone could bring the Wildcats stability at the quarterback position this season.

March 8, 2025, Evanston, IL: Members of the Northwestern Football team practice at Wilson Field at Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, IL on Saturday, March 8, 2025. | Photo: Griffin Quinn/Northwestern Athletics

Northwestern's passing attack was anything but that in 2024. Quarterbacks Jack Lausch, Mike Wright, Ryan Hilinski and Ryan Boe combined to complete 53.8% of their passes for just 2,231 yards, seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions on the season. Following a 4-8 campaign, it was abundantly clear that the Wildcats' 2025 starting quarterback was not on the roster.

Insert SMU transfer Preston Stone, a fifth-year and former team captain who threw for 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in his last full season as a starter. Despite the strong 2023 campaign, Stone was benched for sophomore phenom Kevin Jennings, who eventually led the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff last season.

In spring practice, head coach David Braun and several Wildcat receivers praised Stone's arm and accuracy, and it's clear he's made a strong first impression in Evanston. While Lausch is still a factor in the quarterback competition, Stone should be the runaway favorite to start under center in Week 1 against Tulane.

According to a ranking of all 136 FBS quarterback situations from ESPN writer David Hale, Stone projects very favorably. Hale grouped teams into 20 tiers from best (1) to worst (20), with Northwestern falling into the tier titled, "8A: Fresh Starts: Veteran Edition." The category also features Auburn, Florida State and Houston, in no particular order.

Hale ranked Northwestern between the 43rd and 46th-best quarterback situation in the FBS, an optimistic perspective considering the Wildcats' quarterback struggles in recent years.

"[Jackson] Arnold and [Conner] Weigman were among the most touted recruits and seemed poised to break out last season," Hale wrote. "Instead, they fell flat. Stone and [Thomas] Castellanos had both turned in impressive 2023 campaigns, only to get benched a year later. Now, all four are getting a fresh start in a new home with a chance to prove 2024 was the aberration and all the hype they'd enjoyed before last year was entirely deserved."

Northwestern, with Stone and Lausch considered as candidates to start, is ranked as the 11th-best quarterback situation in the Big Ten. While not quite inside the top half of the conference, it's a significant improvement from last year's Wildcat offense that finished 15th in passing yards, last in completion percentage and last in passing touchdowns.

Hale also took the opportunity to point out the following comparison:
QB A: 69.0 QBR, 9.16 yards per pass, 33 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
QB B: 43.7 QBR, 6.23 yards per pass, 27 touchdowns, 19 interceptions

QB A is none other than Stone over the last two years, which includes both his stellar 2023 season and the 2024 campaign in which he was benched. QB B is every other Northwestern quarterback in that same timeframe combined.

Saying Stone would be Northwestern's best quarterback since Peyton Ramsey or Clayton Thorson could be putting the cart before the horse. However, the SMU transfer has the experience and poise necessary to bring a new element to the Wildcats' offense, and if last season's strong defensive play continues into 2025, NU could return to being competitive very quickly.